At the Learning Forward India Foundation, and the Good Schools Alliance (GSA), we
are dedicated to the transformative power of education by empowering teachers. #HappyTeachers
The Meet and Greet Session covered reading culture and Kamala's psychology book for teachers, sparking discussions on educational challenges and the impact of technology on children. It concluded with talks on building reading habits, addressing system issues, and the use of AI in education, with participants sharing their experiences and solutions.
The meeting emphasised the importance of reading and fostering a reading culture in schools. Sandeep introduced the session, highlighting the joy of reading and the goal of understanding children's hearts. Kamala discussed the lifelong nature of learning and the role of reading in discerning information. She shared that at her school, teachers engage in reading activities and encourage students to read non-fiction. The conversation ended with a discussion on building a reading culture in schools where it may not already exist.
Brewing Knowledge Fridays (05/02/2025): Sandeep and Manisha discussed the importance of Friday sessions and Sandeep's book "My Good School," which celebrates children's strengths and achievements in education. They emphasised the need to shift from rote learning to more active and meaningful learning methods, stressing the importance of empowering students with critical thinking skills and life lessons. The discussion also covered the significance of self-dedication, collaboration, and contribution in education and the importance of building a professional culture in schools and preparing for upcoming reading sessions.
Next steps
• Minakshi to train teachers on meaningful learning, associative learning, and active learning techniques.
• Manisha will share the knowledge pyramid graphic with all participants in the WhatsApp group.
• All participants must type one word they absorbed from the session in the chat box.
• All participants must present their school names in the chat box.
• Manisha or Minakshi will insist that participants share what they learned from the WhatsApp Brewing Knowledge group session.
• All teachers should consider implementing rewards for identity discovery, collaboration, and contribution at their school's annual day.
Summary
Friday Sessions and "My Good School
Sandeep and Manisha discussed the importance of the Friday sessions and the significance of the book "My Good School" by Sandeep. Manisha emphasised that the book is close to their hearts and helps them connect with their experiences. Sandeep then began reading the chapter "Annual Day at School" from the book, explaining the method of reading and using a reading sheet. He also mentioned that the book is interconnected with his other writings and that the chapter they were reading was first published years ago.
Celebrating Children's Strengths and Achievements
Sandeep emphasised the importance of celebrating children's strengths and achievements, notably through annual events like the annual day at school. He highlighted the significance of showcasing creativity, connecting with the community, and building self-esteem in children. Sandeep also stressed the need to involve all stakeholders in these events, including parents and alumni. He suggested that schools should provide opportunities for children to excel in various areas, such as service, skill, study, and sport, and that these achievements should be recognised and celebrated.
Celebrating Children's Successes Throughout the Year
Sandeep discussed the importance of celebrating children's successes throughout the year, not just during events. He emphasised that every teacher should find a reason to celebrate one child each day. Minakshi expressed her school's enthusiasm for learning English, despite not fully understanding the content. Sandeep also mentioned the role of music in their activities.
Empowering Young Minds Through Knowledge
Sandeep discussed the importance of knowledge acquisition in education, emphasising the need to move beyond mere information sharing. He highlighted the need for a shift from rote learning to meaningful, associative, and active learning methods. Sandeep also stressed the importance of empowering young people with thinking abilities and life skills. He encouraged teachers to adopt these new learning methods and recognise the power of knowledge in shaping future generations.
Empowering Students Through Active Learning
Sandeep discussed the importance of individual growth and vision in education. He emphasised the need for schools to change and empower students to think analytically, rather than just processing data. Sandeep also highlighted the need for schools to move away from rote learning and towards more active learning. He used the example of the Fab India School to illustrate these points, noting that the school had faced resistance to efforts to improve teaching performance and was now moving towards more active learning.
Emphasising Self-Dedication and Collaborative Learning
Sandeep discussed the importance of self-dedication, collaboration, and contribution in education. He suggested that schools reward students for these qualities, rather than just academic achievements. Sandeep also emphasised the need for a structured learning program to help teachers become self-directed and collaborative learners. He highlighted the importance of building a professional culture in a school, which is a complex and slow process. Sandeep also stressed the significance of collaborative learning and knowledge assimilation, and encouraged thinking about life lessons and soft skills students should learn in school.
Upcoming Reading Session Discussion
Sandeep led a discussion on the upcoming reading session, scheduled for the 9th of May. He emphasised the importance of cross-referencing and asked for any questions about the reading material. Sandeep also encouraged participants to share their schools in the chat box to better understand the group's composition. The conversation ended with Sandeep asking participants to type a word they remembered from the session in the chat box.
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The brain is the most complex and mysterious organ, and still, scientists are researching how it works. The brain is two per cent of our whole body weight, but it uses approximately 20% energy of our body. As our body is made up of cells, the brain is also made up of neurons called brain cells, and approximately three billion neurons collectively form our brain. If you talk about the structure of a neuron, it has different parts like dendrites, axon, and terminal bottom, where dendrite is a hair-like structure, the axon is the middle part of the neuron, and the terminal bottom is the tail. Whenever we see something, listen to something or feel something, our sense organs send electrical signals to our brains through these neurons only, and the brain interprets this information.
The brain is divided into two parts-left and right. Whenever we do something with our left side, our right brain works, and whenever we do any work with our right side, our left brain is working again. The brain is divided into three parts which are the forebrain, midbrain and hindbrain. The brain constitutes the cerebrum which is the biggest part of our brain and approaches 70% of our brain. This part and decides our thinking power and behaviour. It also controls the contraction and relaxation of our muscles. Another part is telecasters and the hypothalamus, which gives us information about temperature and the hypothalamus, which controls our feelings.
It consists of two parts which are Tectum and Tiguan. These parts receive information from the outer area and send it to the cerebrum. The hindbrain consists of three parts, the medulla oblongata cerebellum and pons, where the cerebellum controls the balance of our body. The medulla oblongata controls involuntary actions like a breeding heartbeat, etc.
The importance of information technology education is a lifelong process; therefore, anytime, anywhere to it is the need. Information explosion is an ever-increasing phenomenon. Therefore, there is no need to get access to this information. Education should meet the need of various learners, and therefore IT is information in meeting this need. Today's world demands the individual to possess technological literacy, but doing so is a difficult task due to many computer illiterate populations. Also, the cost of formal education has to be brought down to minimize the gap between technology and the general public. And the key to this is IT.
In the Era of Technology, IT aids plenty of resources to enhance teaching skill and learning ability. With the help of IT now, it is easy to provide audiovisual education. The learning resources are being widened. With this vivid and Vast technique as a part of the IT curriculum, learners are encouraged to regard the computer as a tool to be used in all aspects of their studies. In particular, they need to use new multimedia technologies to communicate an idea, describe project and order information in their work. Also, during this pandemic period of covid19, all are working online and learning something new in technology and applications.
IT has provided immediacy to education and helps during this period a most. Now, in the year of computers and where networks the pace of imparting knowledge is high-speed, and one can be educated anywhere. New IT has often been introduced into a well-established pattern of working and living without radically altering them. For example, with secretaries working at the keyboard and notes being written on paper and manually exchange, the traditional office has remained remarkably stable, even if the personal computer has replaced a typewriter.
Now in the year of computer and web networks, the pace of imparting knowledge is breakneck, and one can be educated. One can study whenever he respects, whether it is a day or night and irrespective of being in India or in the US because of the boon in IT. Now IT has made it easy to study as well as teach in the group or in clusters. Online, we can unite together to do the desired task. Efficient postal systems, the telephone and various recording and playback system based on Computer technology all have a part to play in educational broadcasting in the new Millennium. The internet and its websites are now familiar to many children in developed countries and educational elites elsewhere. Still, it remains of little significance to many more who lack the most basic means for subsistence.
Audio-visual Education, planning, preparation, and use of the device and material that involves sight, sound, or educational purpose. Among the devices used are still and Motion Pictures, filmstrip, television, transparencies, audiotapes, records, teaching machines, computers and videodiscs. The growth of audio-visual education has reflected development in both technology and a learning theory.
Studies in the psychology of learning suggest that the use of audio-visual in education has several advantages. All learning is based on perception, the process by which the senses gain information from the environment. The higher processes of memory and concept formation cannot occur without prior perception. People can attain only a limited amount of information at a time. Their selection and perception of information are influenced by past experiences. Researchers have found that other condition being equal, more information is taken in if it is received simultaneously in two modalities rather than in a single modality. Furthermore, learning is enhanced when the material is organized, and that organization is evident to the student.
These findings suggest the value of audiovisual in the educational process. They cannot facilitate a projection of the most important features, be carefully organized, and require them to use more than one modality.
Richa Solanki The Fabindia School rsi@fabindiaschools.in
Education is very important and highly valued in today’s society. It teaches the ability to read and write.
Reading and writing is the first step in Education. Most information is done by writing. Hence, the lack of writing skill means missing out on a lot of information.
It is also necessary for success in life. Education is supposed to provide students with the necessary skills that prepare them for the world of work later in life. The education system also serves to teach individuals the values and morals of society.
Education is important to live with happiness and prosperity. It empowers minds that will be able to conceive good thoughts and ideas. Education enables students to do the analysis while making life decisions. Life gives various survival challenges for humans. But education guide human to fight with failure and get success in life. Education is only one thing that can remove corruption, unemployment, and environmental problems.
Education is not about doing a degree it is about how you can live with your own feet. Education makes an individual a better use of technology. It certainly provides the technical skills necessary for using technology. Hence, without Education, it would probably be difficult to handle modern machines.
‘Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.’ Nelson Mandela.
When we are in difficulty and solving a problem, there are two ways we can solve it: using focused
thought or using diffuse thought. Focused thinking is just straightforward. It concentrates on the main matter. If we adopt Focused thinking it is a highly attentive state of mind where the brain uses its best concentration abilities to ignore all outside information. As you all know when we are in our focused mode of thinking, it’s like we have a sure solution for the matter at hand. Whether we are practising or doing any work or skill, focused thinking allows us to zoom directly in on the most important information.
Another way of thinking in a diffuse way, it looks at a big way of sight. Unlike focused thinking, diffuse thinking is all of our mind distractions. Diffuse thinking happens when you let your mind freely and think peacefully. The diffuse mode of thinking does not happen in any one area of the brain, but rather all over. Diffuse thinking gives you an opportunity to connect with any situation because it's happened randomly. Between focused and diffuse thinking is the best way to solve a difficult problem. First, we use the focused mode of thinking to understand the basics of a topic without any distractions. Then we use the diffuse mode to learn and make connections to other things we already know.
Once you have repeated this process a few times, the information will get you.
Online Teaching has become a hot trend in recent times. As technology has developed, so too has the
way we learn new skills. Thanks to the internet, those interested in boosting their knowledge and skills now have a wide range of options open to them. The main difference between online and offline learning is location. With offline learning, participants are required to travel to the training location, typically a lecture hall, college or classroom.
With online learning, on the other hand, the training can be conducted from practically anywhere in the world. Learning and teaching can occur at times that are more convenient and productive for both students and teachers. Students can work at their own place within a given framework. Online education provides opportunities to access and share information more easily and readily. Teachers and students are able to join online communities of practice based on their area of interest rather than their geographic location. It's obvious that any study resource or information in digital format is very easy to be accessed and shared.
Online teachers often report that students usually perform better and also show more participation in discussions during online classes. According to a recent survey conducted on a group of online instructors, 90% of them have reported that teaching online helps them to stay more connected with the students and also gives them the ability to have a better understanding about every student.
As we educators prepare students for the class of 2030, we will need to re-imagine learning.
Like the disappearance of the typewriter, the blackboard and the auditorium-style classroom, the assessment of rote learning and judging students by marks shall also follow. We know that 70% of the career options open today will be taken over by AI(Artificial Intelligence). What will survive is creativity, speed and critical thinking. So shall we not think differently, teach differently, assess differently?
Some future ready schools are already talking about and implementing the same.
Competency-based learning program, an approach to learning used to acquire concrete skills over abstract learning. It differs from other approaches in that the unit of learning is fine-grained. Rather than a module, every individual skill or learning outcome is one single unit. Learners work on one learning goal.
The student is evaluated as per one competency at a time which is a small component of a larger skilling process and the individual moves to other competencies after they have mastered the skill being taught.
Adaptive learning assists students in learning as efficiently & effectively as possible. Technology today can scale the benefits of 1-on-1 mentorship, providing each learner with a personalized course, which adjusts in real-time for his / her performance and engagement level.
Learners receive the right content at the right time, maximizing learning efficiency, effectiveness & engagement. Educators grasp cohort dynamics through real-time analytics and know what their learners are struggling with, so they can quickly adapt instruction. Content authors validate what content works or does not, so they are able to keep it relevant and dynamic.
Connections will become increasingly important as technology empowers school stakeholders. Everything on your palmtop mobile for easy and quick accessibility will be the need of the decade.
Collaborative learning for academics and information sharing will be on fast forward, as evolution becomes increasingly dynamic and focused.
Information sharing among stakeholders and quick decision making will be the new mantra. This generation has a very short attention span and believes in instant gratification and if the system does not keep pace with providing crisp, curated, relevant information with easy accessibility it would be worthless.
Efficient & contemporary teaching resources available in real time on the mobile with the least amount of fuss will keep teachers futureready.
Zamit is one such platform, that engages a team of researchers that are constantly updating curated educational news, twice a day and keeps schools informed of all that is happening in the world of schools.
A section on Teachers Resources is already on the cards and would change the way resources are accessed, maintaining the school ecosystem.
The Award concept is one of individual challenge. It presents to young people a balanced, non competitive programme of voluntary activities which encourage personal discovery and growth, self reliance, perseverance and service to their community.
History The Programme began in 1956 1988 The International Association formed The Award is available in over 125 countries Over 5 million young people have enrolled In India 15,000 young people pursue the Award Program, every year.
Fundamental Principles Individual improvement relative to individual ability Persistence and achievement Non-competitive Voluntary participation Freedom of choice No discrimination on grounds of sex, race, religion or political affiliation
What is the Award? It is a Programme, not an Organisation Not a selective prize, no financial reward Recognition at the highest National level Personal targets and commitments Marathon, not a sprint; Persistence and determination Each level provides the foundation for the next
Operating principles Age between 14 and 25 Four Sections *, to be pursued by each individual, to attain the standard for the Awards – Service – Expeditions – Skills – Physical – Residential Project *For Gold Only
Three levels of Award - Bronze, Silver & Gold
The 14 – 25 youth; is the biggest resource, and the Award Programme is followed in the true spirit of building the youth leadership of nation, all over the world.
For further information do visit our website www.iayp.in
